Finding Her Voice: Building a Tiny House

Every spring our 5^th grade students embark on a long construction project aptly named, Tiny Houses.  I work at a private school for girls, and this project not only builds math, economics, and science skills, it boosts confidence and creativity.  The thirty-four student-architects are matched with faculty-clients to design tiny houses for various habitats: ocean, desert, prairie, forest, etc.  This is my fifth year being a client, so I’ve requested various habitats over the years.  Last year’s tiny house was on wheels.  This year, I wanted something small and stable.

Enter my able-bodied architect, Coco.  I have known Coco for at least three years and have seen her grow from a quiet, timid student to a girl who knows her super-powers: design and fabrication.  Since she was in 3^rd grade, Coco came to my Wonder Studio at recess time with ideas buzzing in her head.  She never hesitated.  She was always ready to create.  Shy and reticent in the classroom, Coco quickly abandoned that persona for an intrepid engineer in the Wonder Studio.  She excelled in making tiny dioramas, and her classmates applauded her skills and sought her out when they needed help. In this way, other these last three years, Coco has become a leader.

As a learning support specialist, I appreciate the time and effort it takes to grow.  There is definitely something to Malcolm Gladwell’s “10,000 hours rule,” which states that it takes approximately 10, 000 hours to achieve mastery in a particular activity.  I have watched Coco put intense focus and energy into making small objects: tiny coconut people, small animal habitats, or tiny food replicas.  It seems that there were no plans.  Her objects would just appear, but as I watched her, I realized that she were very significant organizational processes going on silently in her imagination.

When it was time to create the 5^th grade Tiny House, Coco was ready to go.  As her client, she asked me some questions like where did I want my house to be located,  how many rooms and what kind,  and if I wanted to include a special feature like a spiral staircase, sliding glass doors, or a garden?  I answered Coco’s questions as specifically as I could.  Then I waited about six weeks to witness her construction.  When I’d peek into her classroom, I’d avert my eyes from her project.  Even though I so badly wanted to see her progress, I refrained from spoiling her pride and my surprise.  It was well worth the wait.

On the night of the Tiny House Celebration, students, parents, and clients gathered in our large dining hall space to take tours given by the student-architects.  It was so wonderful to see all the girls’ work.  There were beach houses, lake houses, homes in the mountains, and there was even a treehouse.  (Next year, I’m definitely requesting a treehouse!). As I listened to several girls’ tiny house tours, I meandered to Coco’s sport.  I was not surprised to see a well-constructed home.  However, I was surprised to see the level of detail Coco took into fabricating my special home.  She included every element that I requested and elaborated on many features.  I had not asked for a garden, but I received a lovely little garden outside one of the beautiful wide windows.  I did not ask for a rubber ducky, but there was one in my spacious bathtub.  I had not asked for a wishing well, but I received one, which could water my lovely garden. I did ask for a craft space but hadn’t expected such a lovely space with lots of cabinetry and a large table.  Coco had even made tiny scissors and craft supplies, which she placed on the table.

I love being part of this project because I get to see the girls grow from hesitant crafters into confident builders. Math skills are employed, but so is creativity and ingenuity. Those are at a premium. As I walked from tiny house to tiny house, I learned so much about the habitats on which they were built and why certain design elements were employed. These student-architects learned how to listen to clients, create a plan, and finally fabricate these incredible tiny homes with complete client satisfaction.